


Vicissitude

by CharismaticChaos



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Angst, Betrayals, Few Canon Characters, Friendship, Gen, Internal Conflict, Jealousy, Magic, Minor Character Death, Mostly Canon Compliant, Original Character(s), Original Worlds, Posted Elsewhere, Sibling Rivalry, Swearing, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-05
Updated: 2020-05-08
Packaged: 2021-03-02 19:13:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,057
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24011866
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CharismaticChaos/pseuds/CharismaticChaos
Summary: “Some people get stuck standing on the edge in front of the forest of change, Syl. Some people need a push into the place they are most afraid of in order to find who they are meant to become. This, my dear, is your forest of change. Go and follow your destiny.”"But I'm scared," She whispered quietly.On Hiatus.
Kudos: 6





	1. Prologue

_There’s a hole in my chest; like a part of me is missing._ – a calm observation. The room was dim, the only light from a cocoon which stood in the center of the pillar enshrouded within the infinite corridors of shadow. Although it was in the shape of a heart, the bottom almost bled. The lower point split into two opposing, spiraling swirls. A crack had began to spread across the exterior of the cocoon. Surely it would crumble within the passing moments. Nonetheless, a dazzling blue hue graced the smooth surface of the glass heart as a girl lay dormant inside.

She was young, no more than five years of age. Her appearance was simply average; she wore her hair in two long, brown braids, had a normal pair of shorts and tank top, a couple bandages patched onto her skin in different places – normal. However, she bore a peculiar characteristic that resided on her chest. Her thoughts were more than a simple expression as there was, in fact, a hole where her heart should be.

The tiny flaw on the otherwise perfect confines of the girl spanned over the cocoon, like a single flame igniting a forest fire. One small crack had multiplied in seconds. The crinkling of the slowly shattering surroundings was akin to the clinks of glasses at a celebration, though with far more trepidation in the air. The moment was coming; the breaking point, the point of shattering, the moment where the beginning would truly begin. The beginning of the beginning.

The glass finally shattered, but the youth hidden inside was no longer quite as young. Her long braids had been cut and cropped to the circumference of her head. Her body more teen-like than before. A significant increase in bandages had appeared on her otherwise unblemished skin, which was likely from falling after attempting to climb the large oak tree in the center of her home. Her overall aura would give the impression to anyone who may look her way that she was in rebellion to all things and creatures around. This rough-and-tumble girl was named Syl. The fragments of glass danced around her as her body slowly descended to the glass pillar below. Its color was cool in nature, as was the darkened floor around, but once her feet touched the ground and her eyes fluttered open, a cascade of warm yellows, reds, and oranges flooded from the girl’s no longer hollow chest. She marveled at the sight around her. The floor of the pillar below had begun to shine, its glow racing from one edge of the ground to the other, only seconds passing by as Syl’s body swirled behind her to watch the lights dance below her feet. As the picture formed, she found it was her child-self inked into the floor. The shards of glass disintegrated elegantly, branching off into dazzling blazes of light that dimmed from existence after only a few moments of time. Only when all wonder from the dancing colors settled down was Syl acutely aware that she didn’t recognize her surroundings.

“What…is this place?” She spun around a few times, confusion creeping to the surface of her mind.

 _“Seems you’ve got yourself into a sticky situation.”_ A strange voice rang out from inside her mind. The voice was masculine and sharp – very different from Syl’s own. Alarmed by the sudden intrusion, Syl found her hand clutching the side of her head.

“Who are you? Where am I? What do you mean by ‘sticky situation’?”

_“Lots of questions. Don’t worry – you’ll find your answers in time.”_

“My answers?” She asked incredulously. “What do you mean by that?”

 _“Slow down. I promise you’ll understand soon.”_ Following the voice, three stone tablets surfaced from the glass, each with a different object on them: One, a Sword. Two, a Shield. Three, a Rod. _“For right now, pick a strength for yourself. Don’t rush.”_

Exasperated, Syl sighed. “This is a weird dream,” she muttered under her breath. “Hope I wake up soon.” She walked around the perimeter of the pillar to view the Rod, then the Sword, and lastly, the Shield.

An inscription on the stone tablet read, _“The power of the Guardian. Kindness to aid friends. A shield to repel all.”_ Syl tilted her head and furrowed her brows in curiosity.

 _“Is this the power you seek?”_ Said the voice again.

“Yeah, I think it is,” Syl said gleefully. A bright light encircled the shield set atop the stone. The Shield levitated in the air, positioned upright as the light flooded into Syl’s chest. “Whoa,” she whispered in awe, reaching for the shield. She smiled down at the protective gear, looping her arm into the handle. Made of metal and about two feet long vertically, it was a bit heavy for Syl to carry. She swung it outwards a couple times to test its mobility. She nodded in a satisfied manner when it cut through the air with ease. Never judge a book by its cover.

Syl stumbled backwards when the floor lurched below her. An instant sweat dripped down her brow as the ground tremored violently. The perimeters around her crumbled to the abyss. There was no way out. Syl backed up in terror, only to find there was no longer a floor behind her as she fell through. She cried out in hopes something would hear her screams and help her. Maybe the voice could save her from falling.

Her pleas were cut short when she landed on another pillar. This time, the image looked much like her as she currently was, 12 years old. She sighed, laying back onto the ground, exhausted from the acute fear of falling through the unknown.

 _“Rough landing?”_ The voice was laughing this time, which only sparked irritation in Syl.

“Pompous jerk,” She spit out to the invisible person.

 _“Well, don’t get too comfortable, princess.”_ His voice was saturated in sarcasm as he spoke. _“You still have to choose a weakness. No power comes for free,”_ Just as the mysterious being finished speaking, two stones fell to the ground.

Letting out a frustrated grumble, Syl stood to view the objects she’d opted not to pick. She took strides towards the rod, finding the existence of magic to be preposterous. The inscription didn’t interest her much, reading, _“The power of the mystic. Inner strength. A staff of wonder and ruin.”_ She snorted at the mere thought of magic, picturing sparkles and rabbits hopping out of hats.

 _“Is this the power you want to exchange?”_ The voice asked.

Syl looked back at the sword only for a moment before nodding. “Definitely. I won’t be needing this – magic doesn’t exist.”

 _“You sure you don’t believe in magic? There are things that can surprise even the best of us out there.”_ The voice cautioned. Sounding more mocking than compassionate, Syl didn’t take kindly to his tone.

“I’m certain. Thanks, Smartass.” She hissed. Sarcastic people, (despite being one of them), were not her favorite flavor of human.

In response, the voice chuckled. _“Alright then. You’ve made your choices. No going back now.”_

“I guess not. What else do you have planned for me? Or am I not allowed to get any answers?” _Hmm, that’s another question,_ she thought to herself, praying the voice couldn’t hear her thoughts.

Before she got a response, the floor quaked once more, and Syl prepared herself for another descent. To her surprise, instead of falling she was greeted with four black creatures emerging from the pillar’s shadows, leaving her surrounded her on all sides.

 _“Be prepared, Syl. The heartless are coming to attack you,”_ He instructed with an indifferent demeanor. _“Use that shield as your weapon.”_

Caught off guard by the sound of her name, her head shook, startled. _He knows my name?_ She questioned. Following the voice’s advice, she quickly widened her stance, greatly improving her stability, and wasted no time for fear the heartless may strike first.

Dashing forward, the shield clanged into the heartless to her left, sending the creature back a few feet, before disintegrating. Syl briefly marveled at the heart floating upwards following its demise. The beast to her right pounced into the air, but Syl swung her arm out sharply to defend against the assault. Another hit. Victory, however, wouldn’t last long as a heartless jumped on her back from behind, the phantom scratching at her shoulder and neck. She winced in pain, shaking the heartless off to the side and thrusting the shield forth, propelling the heartless back into its final comrade. The concluding enemy had met its demise. On their own they didn’t pose a threat, but Syl figured in larger numbers they could prove overwhelming.

Syl breathed a tired sigh. Exhausted wasn’t an entirely accurate description, although the intensity of the battle left her feeling drained solely from the flood of adrenaline. _“Not bad, small fry,”_ The voice rang out from within.

Dissatisfied with his level of care, Syl growled at her internal adversary. “Oh yeah?” She started, feeling a strong urge to punch his invisible visage. Hopefully he wasn’t too pretty so she wouldn’t have any regrets. “Show yourself and we’ll find out real fast how ‘not bad’ I am.”

 _“You wouldn’t stand a chance, sweetheart_ ,” He retorted in his egotistical way. Syl rolled her eyes and sat down to catch her breath.

“Alright, whatever.” She tossed her head back onto the glass haphazardly, grumbling when an ache sprang from the unexpected impact. “Ow...”

 _“Well that wasn’t the most intelligent thing you could have done.”_ Ah, that was the breaking point of Syl’s patience.

Syl sprang up in a flash. “Look, fucker, I’m done with your snide remarks. You’ve been nothing but demanding and unhelpful, and I’ve had enough!” Engulfed in her fury, Syl failed to notice the pillar grow dark, its reach spilling across the ground like water dribbling across a table. “Since you’re so confident, why don’t you show yourself and prove how competent you are? Or are ya gonna keep hiding out in my head _like a coward_?” No response came from the male, instead the darkness wrenching Syl from her standing position so she met face to face with a blackened floor.

Confusion was the first reaction, fear sweeping over her the moment she began to sink. “Hey, wait!” Lower.

“What is this?” Panic settled into her voice. Lower.

“H-help!!” She shrieked, sinking deeper until all that was left on the surface was a hand reaching skyward.

Syl’s surroundings had yet again changed once she awoke. She stood atop a pillar of black and white, a silhouette of a woman visible on the glass flooring. She clutched her chest, petrified by mankind’s natural fear of death. Tears blurred her vision as she stood cautiously, afraid she’d fall again.

 _“The closer you get to the light, the greater your shadow becomes,”_ the voice had lost his cynical ring, replaced instead by a tone that sounded rehearsed, as if it came from a book.

Syl looked downwards, fear consuming her mind as her heart pounded in her chest. What could he possibly mean by that? It didn’t make any sense to her. Syl closed her eyes in an effort to calm her anxieties, but to no avail as she felt her stomach churn. Something was wrong.

Her eyes opened to find her shadow morphing below her feet, rising from the ground in a bulbous mass of undulating darkness. If Syl had managed to decrease any of her panic, it wouldn’t have stopped it from resurfacing tenfold at the sight before her. The shadow dripped onto the floor as it reshaped its flesh into that of a dark beast. The frightened girl found herself stepping backwards before her mind registered the movement. Air caught the heel of her foot in her retreat, nearly toppling Syl over the edge of the pillar. Her arms waved in the air a few times, allowing her to regain her lost balance. Petrified, she looked up at the tightly muscled beast standing before her. It towered over her five-foot figure by at least ten more feet. A heart-shaped cavity adorned the beast’s torso, signaling that this too was a heartless in Syl’s mind. She would have to defeat it.

 _“You’ll do fine, so don’t be scared,”_ The voice comforted.

“But this thing is huge! There’s no way I can make a scratch on it!” Syl cried out.

The heartless bellowed loudly, raising its shadowy hand to strike. Having just enough of a window to roll away, Syl dodged the attack, her foot resting across the edge of the pillar. She looked down into the dark fissure below and scrambled away from the edge, crawling straight into the path of the other hand pounding down into the floor. The force of the impact sent Syl flying over the edge.


	2. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to mention this. So as not to spoil the story chapters before they come, I will be adding tags as necessary.

Syl jolted upright, her head slamming against the ceiling. Grasping her head, a groan escaped her as another girl sprang up from the lower level of the bunk bed. Being on top did not have its merits, especially when you were the taller of two roommates.

“My god, Syl, are you okay?” Nym asked, a worried expression painting her face.

A bruise would surely blossom on Syl’s head by the time the next morning rolled around. “I’ll live.” She repositioned herself on the bed, hoping to focus on her friend to distract herself from the throbbing of the headache surfacing. Albeit this was just as uncomfortable given the limited space between the top of the upper bunk’s mattress to the ceiling.

“What on earth were you dreaming about? Another nightmare?”

“No, nothing like that. I—” Syl thought for a moment, trying to think of any excuse she could to evade having to tell Nym about her strange dream. “I saw a spider. Just got spooked.” Before Nym could say anything more, Syl started again in a bit of a panic. “Hey, the tournament is today!”

“O-oh, yeah!” Nym stuttered out, leaping off the edge of the bed frame she’d been standing on. “You hungry? We should hurry and eat.”

“Of course I am. I’m always hungry.”

The two girls scampered down the stairs, letting their hands brush against the tree in the center of the staircase as they thundered down the spiral stairway. It was rough to the touch, and the residents were in a constant state of fear for ramming into the branches that protruded into the walkways. Nym was always complaining about the inconvenience of being smacked in the face by the prickly branches whenever she found an opportune moment to insert her opinion into conversation.

The house they lived in was nice, especially compared to others in the slums. There were pictures hanging on the vibrant colored walls of various sizes and frames – none was like the other, all unique in their own way. At the foot of the stairs was the front entryway. The front door was made of oak, featuring a slab of stained glass near the top center. For some reason the glass’ frame always appeared to be crooked, but Oberon could never figure out if the glass was cut strangely or if it was just installed incorrectly. Nonetheless, it worked, and they weren’t about to complain about a functional door. The next room to the right of the entry from the stairs was the dining and kitchen area. This area was unreasonably small, with the rounded table only about two feet from the surrounding walls, while the kitchen was a narrow hallway with a half wall separating the two side-by-side rooms. The appliances were certainly outdated for the times, but they were at least marginally functional, so Oberon didn’t bother trying to replace them. Hopefully they wouldn’t start a fire.

Oberon stood in the center of the kitchen, smiling when the two girls came in. “Breakfast is on the table, girls. Eat up before it gets cold.”

Syl took her usual seat, as did Nym, and the two conversed while eating their breakfast.

“What kind of outfit should we make next?” Syl asked Nym airily.

Nym thought for a moment, simultaneously shoving some scrambled eggs around her plate, fork in hand. A mixed look of brilliance and excitement dawning her foxlike features. “How about something tight fitting?”

Shooting Nym a stare filled with question, she took a bite of scrambled eggs herself. Nym had never been one to wear anything tight fitting, appearing to prefer looser clothing that could breathe in the humid daytime temperatures of the slums. “What could you possibly need tight fitting clothes for?” Syl asked incredulously.

“Syl, maybe she wants a change. You shouldn’t judge her for that,” Oberon scolded as he took his seat, sipping at a cup of coffee with the words ‘Shh’, ‘Almost there’, and ‘Now you may speak’, written in bold, capital letters. “You change your mind quite often,” He proceeded to point out.

“I do not,” Syl defended, sulking low in her chair with a pout. Nym smiled sweetly to their father figure, making Syl grunt in frustration. Almost as quickly as she sank, however, she sprang up in her chair, scarfing away at the food on her plate.

“Slow down, Syl, you’re going to choke!” Nym instinctively stood up to rest her hand on Syl’s shoulder in case she did in fact, choke.

Syl ignored Nym’s warning, continuing to shovel bites into her mouth as she spoke through her eating. “You need to hurry too! We promised we’d meet up with Alf for kite flying! We’ll be late!” Her speech would have been barely recognizable if not for the fact that Syl had a habit of talking while chewing. Syl’s family had become an expert in deciphering the fragmented speech.

“Ah! I almost forgot!” Following Syl’s lead, Nym wolfed her own food down. Oberon shook his head in disappointment, but otherwise didn’t step in to stop Nym from mimicking Syl’s poor examples. Naturally, Syl finished quicker than her friend, and raced upstairs to get dressed. Nym followed suit not one minute after. Nearly forgetting the household responsibilities of at least putting dishes in the sink to be cleaned later, Nym back tracked and made haste in accomplishing said obligation before pursuing her sister. Oberon smiled contentedly in appreciation of the simple action, faith in Nym redeemed.

Minutes passed and the thumping of footsteps against the floor in the rooms above the dining room was loud to Oberon’s ears.

Syl came into view first. “See you later, Oberon!”

Oberon downed the coffee in a quick gulp and set it down on the tabletop. “Be back before noon, girls. The tournament is today,” Oberon reminded the duo before Syl got too far out the door.

“Don’t worry,” Nym piped up. “I’ll make sure to keep Syl on track.” With that, the girls left the house.

Stepping out of the abode, Syl immediately challenged Nym to a race to see who could reach their destination the fastest. Not one to turn down a challenge, Nym accepted, sporting a grin bursting with determination. They bolted down the stony street, passing by countless tired, unkempt looking individuals. The streets were busy, but the amount of people in the area would never be enough to hide the yellowish green hues of fog and mist in the air. This was from the factories just outside Vicissitude City. The slums residing on the lowest of three tiers in the city meant that any waste in the air had a difficult time seeping into the atmosphere, especially when winds kicked up in autumn and trapped the haze in the alleyway’s dead ends. Also due to the tiers, the lower two portions of the city were shrouded in perpetual darkness, the only light coming from the city’s electrical system, which consisted of numerous electrical devices in the shape of a circle topped with a “+,” symbol. The scientists called them “Volts”. Volts emitted light, and spanned across the entirety of the city on all three tiers. They were connected by strands of wires that dangled in the air above. From the bottom of each volt would be a network of electrical wires that powered the electricity within buildings, but those were hidden inside the walls. Sometimes, but only in the slums, the volts would short out, electrocuting anyone who happened to get too close; that is why children were taught from a young age never to go near or touch the devices. Some were more dangerous than others, however.

Syl stopped when she reached a rundown looking house – more rundown than the other houses in the slums, that is. She had beat Nym by a good ten feet. Nym stumbled up beside her friend, out of breath.

“How on earth do you run like that and not get tired?” She wondered aloud between heavy breaths of air.

Syl shrugged. “Not sure, I just have a lot of stamina I guess.”

“How nice it is to be young.” An old woman sat in a wooden rocking chair on the porch of the home the two girls stood in front of.

“Good morning, Ms. Miller,” Nym huffed out. Ms. Miller was in at least her eighties, with silvery hair and tired green eyes. Her shoulders hunched dangerously forward, while a four-legged cane with a hawk engraving in the handle stood up right beside the chair. The woman was surrounded on most sides by a horde of preteen boys who were chatting amongst themselves in groups. Ms. Miller was beloved by the entirety of the slums, but suffered from a medical condition that left her unable to care for herself. Back before she had developed the medical condition, Ms. Miller had gone four days without coming out of her house. When one of her neighbors went to investigate, fearing the worst, they found Ms. Miller asleep on the floor of her kitchen. As it turned out, she had not eaten, bathed, or left that spot in her kitchen for four days before she was found. After it was determined she couldn’t properly care for herself, the neighborhood boys had stepped in to help take care of the old woman.

Ms. Miller turned her head to face the front door. “Alf, dear, Syl and Nym have arrived.”

Alf walked out from the front door, a hand behind his head. “Did you guys forget about me again? Or do you have another reason for being late,” Despite his bratty attitude, he wore a big smile on his face, walking up to pull Syl and Nym into a tight hug. The two girls laughed, accepting the embrace happily.

“What do you kids have planned for today?” Ms. Miller asked.

Alf turned around, wrapping his arms around Syl and Nym, forcing them down to his chest so their foreheads were squished together. A common occurrence, but the girls still groaned at the boy’s antics. “We’re gonna go fly the kite in a bit,” Alf said excitedly. “What about you, Ms. Miller? Anything fun happening in your world?”

“No, I’m afraid it’s not fun. Those damn squirrels have stolen my brains again.” Ms. Miller’s facial expression became one of terror in a matter of seconds after speaking. “Oh, no, no, no! I must go get them or they’ll eat them again! I might never get them back if they do! I only have so much left!”

“The squirrels again?!” Alf’s eyes widened in horror, while Syl and Nym wilted in exasperation.

Ms. Miller, shortly after being found when her medical condition took its toll, had lost more than a few of her marbles. Ever since, she’d been convinced that squirrels were evil creatures that secretly ate the brains of their victims, and Alf believed every word of it.

Alf reached out to grasp Ms. Miller’s hands, kneeling in front of her. “Don’t you worry, Ms. Miller, I’ll get your brains back if it’s the last thing I do.”

Nym face palmed, muttering a, “You’ve got to be kidding me,” under her breath. Syl giggled in amusement.

“Are you sure, dear? I wouldn’t want to burden you with such a tedious task. They might steal your brains if you go after them too.”

Alf stepped back and flexed his arms in a dramatic way. “No way, I’m too strong for them to get my brains.” He smiled down at the old woman, the sincerest expression gracing his face. “It’s not a problem anyways, anything for the sweetest lady in Vicissitude City.”

Ms. Miller smiled. “Oh, thank you, dear. You’re far too kind.” Her gaze drifted to the side for a brief moment, then fell back on Syl. “You, miss, would you come closer?” Her voice was shaky as she spoke. Confused, Syl stepped forward. In a lightning fast motion, Ms. Miller had seized both sides of Syl’s face in her hands, eliciting a squeak from the young girl. Ms. Miller’s hands traced the features of Syl’s face. She stumbled over words before managing to speak a full sentence. “My, oh my, Elvi, sweetheart, is that you?”

“Huh?” Even more confusion had surfaced in Syl’s mind. Ms. Miller had never once mistaken her for someone else, so this was entirely unexpected. She’d also spoken with so much intent, that it couldn’t have been another one of her typical incoherent thoughts. Ms. Miller must have seen something, and genuinely thought that Syl was someone else.

The woman’s face turned sour, her eyes narrowing and brows furrowing. “Did you put the squirrels up to this?” Coherency, gone.

Nym pulled Syl away from Ms. Miller quickly, also grabbing Alf’s hand while she was at it. “Oooooookay, we should probably get going now, Ms. Miller. You have a good day!” Nym was practically dragging the two away from the old woman at this point.

Alf resisted being dragged away by his friend, wanting to get out one last assurance of his previous promise. “Don’t worry, Ms. Miller, I _will_ find those squirrels!!”

Nym’s eyes nearly disappeared into her head with the roll of her eyes. “Alf, the amount of conviction you have is admirable, but I’m thinking the squirrels may have eaten your brains too,” Nym grumbled.

By this point, the clock had hit 10:00 a.m., which left just enough time to goof off before the tournament. The trio entered a darkened street, lit only by three volts on the upper levels of the slums. An overpass bridge was close by, along with three pipes elevated above ground. Normally these would be hidden beneath the street, but the slums weren’t seen as important to the governing authorities of the city, so they went unfixed. These pipes had a special reason for being underground given normal circumstances, however.

Syl stood in between her two friends, looking from side to side, gauging how they might have felt in that moment. It was her turn first, and she could only hope for the best. Maybe it wouldn’t happen today, or maybe it would. They wouldn’t know until they tried, but they’d have to be fast, or they might miss their shot.

“Are you ready, Syl?” Alf asked, an air of seriousness laced in his words.

“Of course she’s ready, she’s never missed it before,” Nym chimed in.

Syl held a single finger to her lips. “Shh, guys! Be quiet or I might miss it!”

The trio went silent, staring at the closest pipe, Syl’s hand in a vice grip on the kite. There were no winds in the air, not a sound was being made, and the only thing on their minds was anticipation for what was about to happen. The ground shook only slightly; barely enough to notice. It was coming. The moment they were waiting for was almost there. Syl reeled her arm back in a fast motion, her left knee raising up and kicking back to increase the momentum of her throw as the kite flew from her right hand. It soared through the air towards the pipes, only a couple feet away from the top of the pipe when a flood of powerful air erupted from the opening, creating a strong updraft. The kite propelled upwards and out, gliding through the air. The second pipe unleashed the same strength of air, raising the kite even higher, as did the third one.

The trio cheered when the kite finally hit the ground, Alf and Nym raising each of Syl’s hands into the air.

“And here we have the Kite Champion!!” Alf belted loudly.

“She’s never missed, and she never will!” Nym added with her hands cupped around her mouth.

Syl scratched the back of her head, her feet kicking the dirt in front of her. “Oh, come on, guys. Never say never.”

“Why not, Syl?” A voice said from beside Syl’s ear.

In response, she screamed and jumped away from the source, relaxing upon seeing the source. “Oh geez, it’s just you, Basil.”

Alf audibly groaned at the presence of the newcomer, while Nym’s eyes lit up.

“Hey there, mind if I join in the fun?” He asked with a charming smile.

“No,” Syl said at a lightning fast pace. Realizing how that could have been taken, she corrected herself just as fast. “I mean, no I don’t mind,” She looked down to the side, blushing embarrassedly.

Nym looked at her smugly. She then turned her attention to Basil. “I was actually hoping you’d show up,” She shifted her weight from one leg to the other in a bashful manner. Disgusted at the obvious crush the two girls had, Alf scoffed, walking off to grab the kite.

This did not go unnoticed by the newcomer. “Uhh, is he gonna be alright with me staying?” Basil asked in a hushed tone.

“Oh, Alf? Pshh don’t worry about him,” Nym started. “His pride just hurts a little whenever someone who’s stronger than him is around.”

Syl side eyed Nym, not approving of the underlaying insult, but not going to fight if it meant Basil would stay. Alf came back with the kite, pushing it firmly into Basil’s chest. “Here,” he said shortly. “Guests go first.” There was an air of dismissal in his tone, along with an extraordinarily unamused expression on his face.

Basil flashed another charming smile, this time directed towards the irritated boy, and Alf wondered how much more it would take for him to vomit. “Thanks, buddy.” It now took everything for him _not_ to hurl.

They took turns throwing the kite between the four of them for a time, all of them being good at the sport in different ways. Nym’s aim was spot on, but she lacked physical power. Alf had power, but was a little off in his aim. He complained that if he had two kites to throw at once it would be easier for him, but no one ever took him seriously. Basil was well balanced in terms of coordination and power, but had a difficult time telling when the pipes were going to blow. As Nym and Alf claimed, Syl had never missed a throw, being exceptionally good with power, coordination, and timing. During a neighborhood kite flying competition, Syl’s skill had earned her the title of ‘Kite Champion’ throughout the slums, and many of the younger kids looked up to her for it. The thought of any child looking up to her made her horridly nervous, so she downplayed it as much as she could. This led to many exasperated sighs from her friends.

“Hey, I’ve been practicing this trick, and I want to test to see if I can do it today,” Nym said when it was her turn again.

Syl raised a brow in silent question. She hadn’t seen Nym going out to practice with the kite at all, and since much of the time they were together, it was unlikely that she had practiced any trick at all. “Go for it,” She said skeptically.

Alf was all too aware of the tension between his two friends, and teetered from side to side uncomfortably. He’d seen them get competitive many times before, but there hadn’t been nearly as much unease as there was right now. On the other hand, Basil remained completely oblivious to the silent quarrel.

It took a few minutes for the ground to tremor again, but Nym was fully prepared. She handed the kite to Syl. “Hand it to me when I get back over.” Unexpectedly, Nym turned around and ran a few paces away. Confusion crept over the three.

“What on earth are you doing?” Syl asked. Just after speaking, Nym smirked arrogantly. She sprang forward, perfecting a roundoff back-handspring. She landed the opposite direction she needed to face, grabbing the kite from Syl’s hands, and twisting her body to throw it in the proper direction. The kite soared through the air, the four watching with bated breath. It hit the first pipe at the perfect time, propelling towards the second pipe – also a perfect time. It flew to the third pipe, the air from it sending it flying farther than any of them had ever thrown it before. Syl stood rigid, awestricken at the display.

Basil was the first to speak. He picked Nym up by her waist, spinning her in the air a few times before setting her down. “That was incredible!” He exclaimed. Nym laughed joyously, and Syl’s heart sank.

“I can do that too!” Syl said hurriedly. All three of the others looked at her, a mixture of surprise and disbelief.

“Can you?” Alf asked curiously, a hint of worry laced in his voice as well.

“Yeah!” Syl said quickly. “And I’ll put my own spin on it too!”

“Go for it.” Nym said immediately after, her voice much harsher. The words stung, Syl knowing that this was payback for doubting her sister.

“Alright,” She said after a few moments of awkward silence. “I will do it.” She held the kite out to Nym, then ran back a bit farther than Nym had. There was the same trepidation in the air as when they first began. Syl stood back, knowing what she wanted to do, but not sure if she could do it properly on a first try, if at all. The ground shook ever so slightly, signaling Syl to move. She took a deep breath before moving, then ran to gain momentum. She ducked down, placing her hands on the ground in front of her, turning her body the opposite way before landing, then back-springing twice. The difference came on the second spring, where she twirled her body in the air before landing, facing the appropriate direction before she grabbed and threw the kite. Silent, they all watched the kite bound towards the first pipe, lift into the air with the updraft, and fly to the second pipe, higher, third pipe, higher. It was perfect, up until the kite was caught in the bars of the overpass bridge, right next to a volt. Alf, Nym, and Syl collectively sighed. Basil didn’t, and instead ran under the bridge.

“I think I can get it if I climb,” He observed.

Alf and Nym ran up to him, Syl staying back. “No, dude, don’t climb it. We’ll just have one of the adults get it,” Alf said.

“Naw, it’s way faster this way,” Basil said while grabbing one of the pipes and beginning to scale the wall.

“No, Basil, you know how dangerous the volts are!” Nym said urgently. “Especially that one!”

“Don’t worry,” he said looking back at them, already halfway up. “I got this.”

Syl watched on worriedly, too embarrassed over her failure to say anything. She looked up when Basil had finally gotten high enough to grab the kite. He raised the kite in the air triumphantly, right beside the volt.

“Basil be c—”

A loud, _“zzzt!”_ interrupted the speaker mid-speech. A few seconds passed, and Basil’s body fell to the ground. Alf was the first to race over, then Nym, who screamed on her way. Syl was petrified. She fell to her knees, hands covering her mouth in horror.

“Basil...?” Syl’s hearing left her, replaced by a sharp ringing. She watched as Alf pressed his ear against the boy’s chest. Watched while he looked over at Nym, then at her, and shook his head. With that, Syl’s vision went black.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello there, and thank you for taking the time to check out my first work here! This story is a work in progress, and updates might be infrequent due to this. I have full intentions to complete the story, it'll just take a while.  
> If you'd like to see my art, you can go to @/charismatic.chaos on Instagram!


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